(1)

Regulation (EC) No 1580/2007 lays down, pursuant to the outcome of the Uruguay Round multilateral trade negotiations, the criteria whereby the Commission fixes the standard values for imports from third countries, in respect of the products and periods stipulated in the Annex thereto.

(2)

In compliance with the above criteria, the standard import values must be fixed at the levels set out in the Annex to this Regulation,

(1)

By the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation (2) of 26 October 2004 (hereinafter the Agreement) Protocol 2 to the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Swiss Confederation of 22 July 1972 was replaced by a new Protocol 2 concerning certain processed agricultural products. In implementation of this Protocol, the EC-Switzerland Joint Committee, by its Decision No 1/2008 (3), has amended the domestic reference prices from 1 February 2008.

(2)

Consequently it is necessary to lay down the agricultural components and the additional duties applicable from 1 February 2008 for certain products containing milk products and imported from Switzerland to the Community.

(3)

Since the Agreement is applicable from 1 February 2008, the measures provided for in this Regulation should apply from the same date,

(1)

Following national investigations carried out in 2007, the Commission has been notified by Poland that it exceeded its quota for cod in the eastern Baltic Sea (Subdivisions 25-32, EC Waters) for 2007 by 8 000 t.

(2)

According to Article 23(1) of Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 the Commission operates deductions from the annual quota when it has established that a Member State has overfished its quota of a stock.

(3)

Article 2 of Council Regulation (EC) No 338/2008 of 14 April 2008 providing for the adaptation of cod fishing quotas to be allocated to Poland in the Baltic Sea (Subdivisions 25-32, EC Waters) from 2008 to 2011 (2) provides for a deduction over a period of four years, consisting of a reduction of 10 %, in the year 2008, of the amount overfished in the year 2007 and reductions of 30 %, in the years 2009, 2010 and 2011, of the amount overfished in 2007.

(4)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture,

(1)

Article 63(7) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine (2), limits the grant of export refunds for wine-sector products to the volumes and expenditure contained in the Agreement on Agriculture concluded during the Uruguay Round multilateral trade negotiations.

(2)

Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 883/2001 lays down the conditions under which the Commission may take specific measures to prevent an overrun of the quantity laid down or the budget available under the said Agreement.

(3)

On the basis of information on export licence applications available to the Commission on 2 July 2008, the quantity still available for the period until 31 July 2008, for destination zones (1) Africa and (3) eastern Europe, referred to in Article 9(5) of Regulation (EC) No 883/2001, could be exceeded unless the issue of export licences with advance fixing of the refund is restricted. Therefore, a single percentage for the acceptance of applications submitted from 1 July 2008 should be applied and the submission of applications and the issue of licences suspended for this zone until 1 August 2008,

(1)

Bulgaria has been granted transitional periods by the Act of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania for compliance by certain milk processing establishments with the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin (1).

(2)

The Appendix to Annex VI to the Act of Accession has been amended by Commission Decisions 2007/26/EC (2), 2007/689/EC (3), 2008/209/EC (4) and 2008/331/EC (5).

(3)

Bulgaria has provided guarantees that one milk processing establishment has completed its upgrading process and is now in full compliance with Community legislation. This establishment is allowed to receive and process non-compliant raw milk. This establishment should therefore be included in the list of Chapter I of the Appendix to Annex VI.

(4)

The Appendix to Annex VI to the Act of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania should therefore be amended accordingly.

(5)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,

(1)

By letter dated 17 December 2007, the Finnish Government requested authorisation, for the years 2007-2010, to grant farmers aid for certain quantities of varieties of seeds and cereal seed produced solely in Finland because of its specific climatic conditions. Supplementary information was provided by letters dated 16 January and 20 February 2008.

(2)

In accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 8(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1947/2005, Finland has to transmit to the Commission by 31 December 2008 at the latest a detailed report on the results of the aid authorised. In order not to pre-empt this interim review only cultivated seeds in 2007 and 2008 may be granted at this stage.

(3)

Finland requests authorisation to grant aid per hectare for certain areas under Gramineae (grass) and Leguminosae (legumes) seeds species as listed in Annex XI to Council Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 of 29 September 2003 establishing common rules for direct support schemes under the common agricultural policy and establishing certain support schemes for farmers and modifying Regulations (EEC) No 2019/93, (EC) No 1452/2001, (EC) No 1453/2001, (EC) No 1454/2001, (EC) No 1868/94, (EC) No 1251/1999, (EC) No 1254/1999, (EC) No 1673/2000, (EEC) No 2358/71 and (EC) No 2529/2001 (2), with the exception of Phleum pratense L. (Timothy), and for certain areas under cereal seed.

(4)

The proposed aid has to meet the requirements laid down in Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 1947/2005. It concerns seeds and cereal seed varieties for cultivation in Finland which are adapted to the weather conditions in that country and are not grown in other Member States. The Commission authorisation should be limited to the varieties included in the list of Finnish varieties which are produced solely in Finland.

(5)

Provision should be made for the Commission to be informed of the measures taken by Finland to comply with the limits laid down in this Decision,

(1)

Guideline ECB/2006/9 of 14 July 2006 on certain preparations for the euro cash changeover and on frontloading and sub-frontloading of euro banknotes and coins outside the euro area (1) lays down the rules allowing the national central banks (NCBs) of future participating Member States to borrow euro banknotes and coins from the Eurosystem for the purpose of frontloading and sub-frontloading them before the cash changeover and defines the obligations to be fulfilled by eligible counterparties and professional third parties in order for them to be frontloaded and sub-frontloaded respectively.

(2)

Following the introduction of the euro in Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta pursuant to the rules contained in Guideline ECB/2006/9, the need to make various amendments aimed at improving the logistical aspects of the cash changeover in future participating Member States was identified.

(3)

In view of the difficulties likely to be faced by future Eurosystem NCBs in planning the volume and denominations of euro banknotes needed after the cash changeover date, such Eurosystem NCBs must have the possibility, immediately after the cash changeover date, to refine the denominational structure of their stocks of euro banknotes at low cost.

(4)

While only credit institutions and national post offices that have an account with their future Eurosystem NCB are currently entitled to sub-frontload euro banknotes and coins to professional third parties, experience gained so far with cash changeovers pursuant to Guideline ECB/2006/9 has demonstrated the usefulness of involving cash in transit companies in sub-frontloading operations. Credit institutions and national post offices should therefore be allowed to appoint cash-in-transit companies as their agents for the purpose of sub-frontloading euro banknotes and coins.

(5)

To avoid the duplication of reporting obligations relating to the volume and denomination of frontloaded and sub-frontloaded euro banknotes and coins, the reporting procedure applicable to future Eurosystem NCBs and eligible counterparties must be simplified.

(6)

In view of the potentially numerous and frequent audits and inspections to be carried out by the future Eurosystem NCBs at the premises of frontloaded and sub-frontloaded entities to check that the latter do not put euro banknotes and coins into circulation before the cash changeover date, it is necessary to allow the future Eurosystem NCBs to entrust other public authorities with such tasks.

(7)

The contractual arrangements to be entered into between frontloaded and sub-frontloaded entities before any sub-frontloading taking place and the lack of financial incentives available to sub-frontloaded entities have proven, based on experience gained so far with cash changeovers pursuant to Guideline ECB/2006/9, to be detrimental to the success of sub-frontloading in relation to certain categories of retailers, e.g. convenience stores and other small retail outlets. It is therefore necessary to introduce a simplified sub-frontloading procedure to be used when only small amounts of euro banknotes and coins are involved.

(8)

The need to make various other minor amendments to Guideline ECB/2006/9 has also been identified,

1.

Article 4 is amended as follows:

2.

The following text is added at the end of Article 5:

‘Eligible counterparties may appoint cash in transit companies as agents acting on their behalf and at their risk for the purpose of storage and sub-frontloading of euro banknotes and coins to professional third parties on condition that: (i) notwithstanding the appointment of an agent, eligible counterparties comply with all applicable rules and procedures laid down in this Guideline; and (ii) eligible counterparties conclude contractual arrangements with cash in transit companies stipulating that the cash in transit companies shall fulfil the obligations laid down in Article 10(a) and (b) and in Articles 13(1) to 13(3).’.

3.

In Article 9, the following text is added at the end of paragraph 2:

‘The future Eurosystem NCB shall report the information received from an eligible counterparty to the ECB, taking into account the requirements laid down in a separate legal instrument.’.

4.

Article 10 is amended as follows:

5.

Article 13 is amended as follows:

6.

Article 16 is amended as follows:

7.

Article 18 is replaced by the following:

‘Future Eurosystem NCBs shall forward to the ECB copies of any legal instruments and measures adopted in their Member State in relation to this Guideline at the latest one month before commencement of the frontloading/sub-frontloading period, however not before any decision on abrogation of the derogation has been taken in relation to such Member State.’.

(1)

On 18 July 2005, the Council adopted Joint Action 2005/575/CFSP establishing a European Security and Defence College (1).

(2)

On 21 December 2007, pursuant to Article 13 of that Joint Action, the Steering Committee presented a report on the activities and perspectives of the ESDC with a view to a revision of the Joint Action.

(3)

On 18 March 2008, the Political and Security Committee (PSC) recommended that the Council amend the Joint Action in the light of that report.

(4)

For the sake of clarity, a new consolidated version of the Joint Action should be adopted,

(a)

to further enhance the European security culture within ESDP;

(b)

to promote a better understanding of ESDP as an essential part of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP);

(c)

to provide EU instances with knowledgeable personnel able to work efficiently on all ESDP matters;

(d)

to provide Member States’ administrations and staff with knowledgeable personnel familiar with EU policies, institutions and procedures; and

(e)

to help promote professional relations and contacts among training participants.